Gearing.



T. I. DUFFY.

Patented Get. 21, 19M

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GEARING.

APPLIOATION FILED WM5, 1912.

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THOMAS I. DUFFY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY ELLSWORTH AND LBERT JE. CROSS, BOTH 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, COPARTNERS DOING BUSINESS p UNDER THE FIRM-NAME OF ELLSWORTH & CROSS.

GEARING.

nordsee.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct.. 21, 19113.

Application filed J une 5, 1912. Serial No. 701,723.

To all whom it may concern Be it lknown that I, 'IHoirxs I. DUFFY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof` reference being had to the accompanying drawings, a-nd to the characters of reference marked thel'eon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gearing and refers more particularly to an improved construction and arrangement for mounting a differential gear inthe rear or drive axle of motor vehicles, so constructed and arranged as to permit the dif ferential gear and its mounting to be removed as a unit from the chambered portion of the axle which receives the same.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an arrangement of the dierential gear and mounting therefor which permits the gearing to be removed from and inserted into the axle without disturbing anyl of the bearing thereof, and which, at the same time,

` enables the elements of the gearing to be adjusted with respect to eachother with the said elements in full view, so as to thereby secure accurate adjustment of the gear ele# ments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gear mounting of this character in which the frame which carries the bear ings for the gear elements, while being of open work construction to permit the gears to be observed when removed from the axle and to'permit a lubricant to reach all movable parts of the gearing and bearings therefor, is rigidly secured together through the intermedi-ary of the axle casing which receives the gear so as to hold the bearings in fixed relation to each other and the gear elements in accurate adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an'improved means for adjusting the elements of the gear toward and from each other, so arranged as to permit a ne and accurate adjustment of the gear elements toward and from each other, with nieans for locking the parts in adjusted position, by the use of relatively coarse screw threads and locking devices.

@ther objects of the invention are to improve and simplify gearing and gear mounting for this and like uses, and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a differential gear and mounting therefor taken in the general plane of the axis of the driving axle. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof taken in a plane transverse to' the axis of the axle. Fig. 3 is a partial section and partial elevation, the section being indicated on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the removable and insertible unit, comprising the differential gear, its frame and bearings. Fig. 5 is a partial side view thereof. Fig. 6 is a cross section of the line 6-6 of Ifig. L1.

As shown in the drawings, 7 designates the rear axle of a motor vehicle, which, as herein shown, is made like the axle shown in my co-pending application for Il. S. Letters Patent. tiled of even date herewith, Serial Number 701,722. rI`he said axle is constructed in connection with a cap piece 8, attached to the rear side of the axle, and a. forwardly extending casing 9, attached to the front of the axle, to constitute a chamber 1() 'to receive and inclose the differential gear and its mounting separately shown in 1F ig. 1; the intermediate portion of said chamber being inolosed by the upper and lower truss members 11, 11 and the struts 12, 12 formed integral with the truss members. 'Ihc said cap piece'8 and casing 9 are secured vto the axle by bolts 13, 14 respectively, which extend through marginal flanges of thecap piece and shell and into the axle body. 'Ihe said axle embraces in its construction tubular members 15 which parts 20, 21 that. are joined in the plane of the shafts 22 of the pinions 19 and are fastened together by the screw bolts 25, as more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The shell member 21 carries a large gear wheel 26 that meshes with a pinion 27 which is fixed to the shaft 28 that is mounted in a forward extension 29 of the casing 9., The shaft 28 is squared at its `forward end 30 to engage the rear socketed end of the propeller shaft 31 that is contained within the usual torque tube 32 that lits within the forward reduced end or neck portion of the casing 9. These features of construction may bemade in any suitable or preferred manner andconstitute separately no part of the present invention.

35 designates as a whole (Fig. 4) a yoke shaped frame havin .at its rear end the arms 36, 36and at its forward end a reduced or neck portion 37 which is made integral with the transverse member 38 of the yoke. Said neck portion is made cylindric at its forward end as shown at 39 to closely fit within the cylindric portion 40 of the reduced end of the casing 9. The said neck portion 37 of the gear yoke frame is open work or skeleton construction to permit. oil to pass from theaxle chamber through the neck portion to the bearings within the same, it being shown in Figs. 4 and 6 as provided with opposing openings 41. j)

The arms 36 of' the yoke shaped frame are provided near their rear ends and at their upper and lower sides with socketed screwthreaded lugs which receive fastening screw bolts 4:6, 4x6, that extend u wardly and downwardly through openings 1n thickened portions 47 of the truss members 11 at their junctions with the struts 12, whereby said frame is rigidly xed to the axle structure when in place on the chambered portion ot the axle. The axle structure thus consti* tutes a means of rigidly connecting the free ends of the yoke arms, to thereby maintain the ,bearings carried! by the yoke arms in fixed relation with respect to each other. This construction is of considerable importance inasmuch as it leaves the rear end of the gearing frame open so as to permit the gear elements to be readily assembled in the frame and be dismounted therefrom, while at the same time aording as rigid a connection between the ends of the yoke arms as though said yoke arms were connected by an in tegral connecting piece.

The rear ends of the yoke arms are enlarged to form hubs 50, the openings of which are axially alined in the vaxis of the shafts 16. These hubs are interiorly screw threaded to receive exteriorly screwthreaded solid rings 51 which receive and retain in place suitable anti-friction bearings 52 for the tubular bearing extensions 53, 53.

of the members 20, 21 of the gear shell or frame. rIhese bea-rings may be of any suitable type, and as herein shown comprise inner and outer rings formed with raceways to receive between them anti-friction balls.

The rings 51 are provided near their outer ends with internal shoulders or flanges 55,

.between which and external annular shoulders 56 of the shell members 20, 21 the raceway rings of the bearings are confined. The said rings 51 are formed on their outer ends to provide an annular series of lugs 57 and interposed recesses. The recessed outer ends of the rings 51 constitute means for engagement therewith of a suitable tool, whereby the rings may be turned int-o and out of the openings in the hubs, and whereby the bearings and the gear shell may be adjusted S0 as to bring the gear wheel 26 carried by the shell into proper meshing adjustment with the pinion 27. The said rings are adapted to be locked in adjusted `position by means of a key 58 arranged to project into one of the recesses between the locking lugs 57 and to be fixed to the adjacent yoke arm in any suitable manner, as by means of the screws 59 extending through an opening in the outer end of the key and into the yoke arm. It will be observed that the said locking lugs are formed on a circle of large radius, thereby permitting minute adjustments of the parts with the use of relatively large, and therefore strong, Alocking lugs, and alsowith the use of fairly large screw-threads.

With the construction described, the differential gear, after the unit has been withdrawn from the axle chamber, may be readily disassembledV by parting the gear shell by the removal of the bolts 25 and thereafter backing the rings 51 out of the hubs of the fork arms. When this is done the shell member 20 is free to drop suiiiciently to permit the withdrawal of the pinions 19, after which the shell member 21 and gear wheel 26 may be swung downwardly to free its tubular bearing extension 53 from the adjacent yoke arm and the parts .withdrawn rearwardly away from the yoke. rlhereafter the shell member 20 is free to be released from the yoke member.

An advantage of this construction is that the bearings for the gear shell may be mounted in solid rings 51 thereby insuring, by the locking means described, or other equivalent means, maintenance of accurate adjustment'of the parts, and also an exceedingly strong and durable bearing.

The bearings 60, 61 for the shaft 28 are mounted in a cage 62 that is insertible into and removable from the reduced neck portion 37. Said cage comprises a cylindrical rear end portion 64 that lits tightly with a sliding engagement in an opening in the nordsee transverse member of the yoke, and a reduced, front cylindric, exteriorly screwthreaded portion 65 which engages an interior screw-thread at the extreme end of the neck portion of the yoke shaped frame. Said bearings may be of any suitable type, and as herein shown, they comprise inner and outer race-way rings with interposed bearing balls. rlhe inner bearing 60 is coniined between a collar 67 von the shaft 28 and an interior shoulder 68 ofthe cage be! 27 into proper meshing engagement with the gear wheel 26, and whereby, also the cage may be turned out of the neck portion 37.

rlhe cage is provided at its shoulder between the larger and smaller diameter there ot with a circular series'of external lugs 74 and intervening recesses, which are adapted to be engaged by a locking key 75, shown best in Figs. 4 and 6, arranged to enter one of the recesses bet-Ween adjacent lugs' 74. Said key may be attached, as by means of screws 76, to the yoke frame. rllhe said locking lugs 74, are formed on a circle of large radius, as will appear from an inspection ot Fig. 6, so that lt am thereby enabled to secure a minute adjustment ot the pinion 27 to the gear wheel 26 by the use oit lar e, and therefore strong, locking lugs, and y the use of relatively large screw-threads between the cage and the neck portion 37.

llt will be observed that the reduced extension 40 of the casing 9 is sulliciently larger than the yoke frame gear mounting so that oil within the axle chambermay iind its way freely through the open or skeleton oi? the tubular axle sections 15 around the shaft sections 16 by extending said axle sections inwardly beyond the struts 12, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and screw-threading the inner end of said tube sections, to receive, the oil caps 80. Between said oil caps and hard washers 81 which bear against the ends of the axle tube sections are interposed felt orother soft washers 82 which are clamped between the washers 81 and caps 80 so as to be forced tightly upon the shaft sections 16 Within the oil chamber.

When the di'erential gear and its mounting are` to be removed as a unit, the cap 8 and the screws 46 are removed, after which the shaft sections 16 are drawn endwise away from the differential gear. r1`he said differential gear and its mounting may then be withdrawn as a whole rearwardly through the rear opening of the axle chamber. When so withdrawn all ot the adjustments for the gear elements are tree for access, and the parts to be adjusted are in sight, so as to thereby facilitate the adjustment of the gear elements.

lt is to be understood that many ot the structural details shown are capable of variation within the spirit and scope of the Iinvention and the invention is not limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

ll claim as my invention 1. rFhe combination with a chambered axle, of a diiierential gear and its mounting tramo and bearings adapted to be inserted into and removed from the chamber as a unit, said trame being open to permit acss to the gear elements.

2. 'llhe combination with a chambered axle, of a diderential gear, its open, onepiece frame and bearings adapted to be inserted into and removed from the axlechamher as a unit, said one piece frame being rovided with opposed screw-threadedv openings, solid rings screw-threaded in said openings and bearings in said rings tor the shell ot the differential gear.

A3. 'Fhe combination with a chambered axle, ot a diHerent-ial gear, its frame and ica bearings adapted to be inserted into and rebers integral with each other to support the bearings for the shell ot said gear,bearings for said shell carried by said members and adjustable toward and from each other and means for xedly attaching said opposing lateral members ot thel iframe to the chambered axle to rigidly hold said members in fixed relation. j

5. 'ilhe combination with a chambered axle, of a diderential gear, its trame and Vbearings adapted to be inserted into and removed from the axle chamber as a unit, said frame embracin a yoke shaped member `the'arms of which are integral with each other and provided in its arms with axially alined bearings for said gear.l

6. The combination with a chambered axle, of a differential gear, its frame member and bearings adapted to be'inserted into and removed from the axle chamber as a unit, said frame member embracing a yoke shaped part the arms of which are integral with each other and provided in its arms with axially alined bearings for the shell of said gear, and means for fxedly and detachably attaching the arms of the yoke member to the Walls of the chamber.

7. The combination with a chambered axle, of a differential gear, its integral frame, and bearings carried by the frame, all adapted to be inserted into and Vremoved from the axle chamber as a unit, said frame being open to permit access to the gear elements, and provided with oppo-sed screwthreaded openings, and rings seated in parts of the frame integral with each other and carrying the bearings for the shell of the differential gear, and provided at their outer ends withl means for engagement by a tool, whereby the rings may be adjusted toward and from each other.

8. The combination with a chambered axle, of a differential gear, its integral fra-me, and bearings carried by the frame, all adapted to be inserted into and removed from the axle chamber as a unit, said frame being open to permit access to the gear elements and provided in integral parts of the frame with opposed screw-threaded openings, rings seated therein and carrying the bearings for the shell of the differential gear, and provided at their outer ends withk means for engagement by a tool whereby the rings may be adjusted toward and from each other, and means carried by the frame and engaging said rings to lock the rings in adjusted positions.

9. The combination with a chambere'd axle, of a differential gear and its integral frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from' t-he axle chamber as a unit,said frame being provided in integral parts thereof with opposed openings, rings seated therein, and adjustably fixed to the frame.

bearings in said rings for the shell of the differential gear provided at their outer ends with notches for kengagement with a tool, and locking keys engaging said notches and having means to attach them to said gear frame. i

10. The combination with an axle having i a. casing provided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardlyof t-he axle in a reduoedtubular portion, of a differential gear and its frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from said casing as a unit, said frame being of open construction to expose the gear and provided with opposing bearings for the shell of the gear and with a forwardly extending, tubular neck portion of open construction that is fitted in the reduced portion of the casing, a drive pinion and its shaft and bearings for said shaft carried by said neck portion.

l1. The combination with an axle having a casing provided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardly of the axle in a reduced tubular portion, of a differential gear and its frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from said casing as a unit, said frame being of open construction to expose the gear and provided with opposing bearings for the shell of the gear and with a forwardly extending, tubular neck portion of open construction that is fitted in the reduced portion of the casing, va drive pinion and removed from said casing as a unit, said' frame being of open construction to expose the gear elements and provided with opposing bearings for the shell of the gear and with a forwardly extending, tubular neck portion of open construction that is fitted into the reduced portion of the casing, a drive pinionand its shaft, bearings for said shaft carried by said neck portion and means whereby said cage may be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly and locked in adjusted position.

13. The co-mbination with an axle having a casing provided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardly of the axle in a reduced tubular portion, of a differential gear and its frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from the casing as a unit., said frame being of open construction to expose n vsliding engagement at its rear end in an opening in said frame, whereby the cage the .sliding engagement at its rear end in arf geraten bearings and said shaft' may be adjusted endwise relatively to said frame and means for locking the cage in adjusted position.

14. rllhe combination with an axle having a casing provided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardly of the axle in a re# duced tubular portion, of a dierential gear and its frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from said casing as a unit, said frame being of open construction to expose the gear elements and provided withopposing bearings for the shell of the gear and with a forwardly extending, tubular neck portion of open construction that is tted in thevreduced portion of the casing, a drive pinion and its shaft, and bearings for the shaft carried by said neck portion, a cage for said shaft bearings screw-threaded at its forward end to said neck portion and having opening in, said frame, whereby the cage, the bearings, and said shaft may be adjusted endwise relatively to said frame, said cage being provided between its ends with a circlar series of locking notches ,and a key adapted to be inserted in said notches and to be fixed to said frame.

15. rlhe combination with an axle having a casing provided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardly of the axle in a reduced tubular portion, of a dierential gear and its frame adapted to be inserted into and removed from the casing as a unit, said frame being of open construction to expose the gear elements and provided with opposed bearings for the shell of the gearand with a forwardly extending, tubular portion of open construction that is fitted in the reduced portion of the casing, a drive pinion and its shaft, bearings for said shaft carried by said neck portionfa cage of openconstruction for said shafty bearings mounted in said neck portion, said' cage, shaft and bearings being removable as a unit from the neck portion of said casing. i

16. rlhe combination with an axle having a casingprovided with a rear opening and with a removable cover therefor, said casing terminating forwardly of the axle in a reduced tubular portion, of a diderential gear and its frame adapted Yto be inserted into and removed from said casing as a unit, said did'erential gear embracing a gear wheel carried by the shell of the gear and a coperating pinion and its shaft, opposing antifriction bearings carried by the frame for the gear shell, with exteriorly accessible means to adjust them toward and from. each other and lto lock them in adjustment, and bearings for the pinion shaft carried by la reduced neck portion of the frame and provided at its forward end with externally accessible means for adjusting the shaft bearings `and said pinion toward and from said gear wheel and locking the parts in adjustment.

i7. ln diderential gearing 'mounting the combination with a gear wheel and a pinion constituting part of said gearing of spaced bearings for said pinion, a cage in which said bearings are mounted, a fixed part to which said cage is screw-threaded, said cage being provided between its ends with a circular series of locking'notches and a locking key adapted to enter said locking notches.

18. The combination with an axle prof vided with-an oil tiht easing for a' did'erential gear, of a dirential gear insertible into and withdrawable from said casing, the axle embracing into said casing', drive shafts extending through the tube sections for connection with the diderential gear, caps Screw-threaded to the ends of the tube sections within the casing and washers surrounding said shafts and compressible between thecaps and the ends of the said tube sections.

19. rllhe combination with an axle provided with a chamber or housing to receive a -diderential gear and its mounting frame tube sections which lextend Y i and provided with a rear opening through which said gear and its frame may be removed as a unit, a diderential gear and mounting frame and bearings therefor within the housing, with means to ix the frame to the housing,-and a removable cover, separate from said frame, to ht over and close said rear opening of the housing.

lin testimony, that ll claim the foregoing as my invention li aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of May A. D.. 1912.

`THOMAS ll. DUFFY.

Witnesses:

G. E. Downs, W. lh. HALL. 

